They Know
by December
Summary: All the pressure of her life is getting to Usagi...but she's not as alone as she thinks


Hey again.   
  
Here's another fic inspired by a song.   
Most of the story is in third person;   
the second section becomes first person   
because I'm introducing a new minor   
character and that section is set in   
a completely different country.   
  
In terms of the SM universe continuum,   
I'd have no idea where to put this. I   
also made Usagi an exchange student for   
part of the story...and she is in America   
alone. I know that seems far-fetched,   
but roll with me here. I apologize if   
anyone seems out of character.   
  
'' means thinking, "" is speaking.   
  
Comments, suggestions? Please email me at   
cemberl@yahoo.com. Also, this is the   
first time that I've used any Japanese   
or Japanese culture in a fic. If I'm way   
off, please let me know.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I   
didn't write nor did I sing "I know" by   
Jude. (I didn't even see the movie   
City of Angels, I just have the soundtrack.)   
Sorry.   
  
They Know   
  
'My daughter.' Mrs. Tsukino thought as she   
worked in her kitchen. She sighed. 'My poor   
baby.'   
She noticed it. Her daughter was   
struggling wiht something. Oh, Usagi didn't   
share it with her...she didn't seem to share   
it with her friends either. The child still   
smiled and laughed, but a mother could tell   
the difference. Neither ever really reached   
her eyes.   
The facade fooled everyone else, it   
seemed. But a mother still worried.   
Someone could be heard entering the   
house. "Hi, okaa-san. I'm home."   
"Usagi dear, I'm in the kitchen."   
A few minutes later, a teenager   
practically skipped into the kitchen. The   
woman turned to the teen. "How was your day,   
sweetie?"   
Her daughter smiled. That beautiful,   
fake smile. And evaded the question by only   
saying, "It was okay..."   
Mrs. Tsukino knew that there had been a test   
that day...but she decided not to ask about it.   
Her poor baby needed a break.   
"Would you like some pancakes?"   
"Would I?! Wow, thanks okaa-san."   
Her mother smiled. "You're welcome, sweetie."   
'At least for a little while she can let go of   
whatever she was struggling with.'   
*******   
I'd been worried about the blond Asian   
girl for awhile. She came here as an exchange   
student from Toyko. She didn't have the best   
command of spoken English, but she understood it   
when it was spoken to her or written. All of   
which made this American university survivable   
and extremely hard.   
She didn't really appear bubbly here...   
unless you heard her talking on the phone to   
someone from her home. She kept in pretty close   
contact with her friends from home...who didn't   
seem to notice the depression surrounding their   
friend.   
To this day I can't say what made me go   
out on the roof. Hey, I was a graduate student   
studying residence life...I didn't even need to   
be on campus that day. But I went out on the   
roof.   
...to see the blond girl standing on   
its edge. I froze in shock. Then I wondered   
what to do. I couldn't just leave...but if I   
shouted and ran towards her, she may jump or   
fall...   
"Usagi," I said, "Standing out here   
for the view?"   
She turned to look at me and struggled   
to say (in English), "You know...that I am not   
...watching the view, Jennifer-san."   
I sighed. "Yeah, I know....Why don't   
you come back here and talk about it? A few   
more minutes won't make much difference."   
She backed away from the edge and sat   
next to me. I smiled. "Okay...why are you   
out 'enjoying the view'? Dr. Wharton's paper   
topic choices can't be that bad."   
She suddenly burst into tears. "I   
cannot do it." She screamed in English,   
which she followed with a whole lot of   
Japanese.   
When she stopped, I said. "I'm   
glad you got that out." I smiled, "If   
you just want to scream and rant I'll   
listen...but if you want advice, you'll   
have to use English. I'm a typical   
American, remember? English is my only   
language."   
She turned to me and finally   
got out, "I cannot do what they...ask. I am   
...stupid...ugly. I cannot be her."   
I mentally winced. Someone did a   
number on her self-esteem. "First, you aren't   
stupid. College is hard and you are   
studying in a foreign language. And you aren't   
ugly...Have you looked in a mirror lately?"   
She shook her head. "Cannot." She   
looked as if she was going to move.   
I panicked and grabbed her arm.   
"Usagi, look at me." She turned and looked.   
"I'm here for you. I won't leave you. You   
don't have to be anything for me...Just please   
...don't jump."   
She stared at me for awhile. Then she   
nodded...and she let me lead her off the roof   
and back to her room. There I gave her every   
way she could contact me. Home, office, and   
cell phone number. Email address, smail mail   
address, my mother's phone number. And I asked   
her not to 'enjoy the view' from a roof without   
me.   
******   
'My poor Usako. She looks so alone,   
lately. Her eyes don't light up like they   
used to.' "Usako, are you alright?"   
She nodded, but she didn't look okay.   
Actually that look on her face was familar to   
the man by her side...he had worn a similar   
look for most of his life.   
"Usako. I know you feel alone. I've   
been alone for most of my life; did you think   
that you could hide it from me?" Mamoru sighed.   
"Usako, trust me. You are my life - regardless   
of past or future. Trust me to help you through   
this." He pleaded.   
Usagi turned to him. Pain filled her   
eyes and she started to cry, all the fears   
coming out. And her true love was right beside   
her. She wasn't alone.   
*******   
After a reception four people stood off   
from the crowd. The oldest was obviously the   
mother of the bride. She alternated between   
wiping away tears and controlling her laughter.   
The groom smiled at all of this, as he acted as   
a support for the tired woman at his side, the   
bride.   
The fourth person in the group clearly   
stood out as she was non-Asian. The young   
African-American woman smiled. She put herself   
into debt to be there...but she promised she'd   
always be there for the bride...even if it meant   
traveling halfway around the world to be a maid   
of honor.   
And the bride smiled. Really smiled,   
eyes and all. She knew she wasn't alone.   
  
- the end -   
  
I know, I know, you are wondering why the   
scouts didn't notice. I honestly think they   
sometimes see Usagi simply as a good friend   
to protect. They may not notice mental   
anguish Usagi worked hard to hide.   
  
As for the story...as I've said before,   
I don't think becoming Neo-Queen Serenity   
was easy for Usagi at all. And I think   
she felt pressure from everyone to be   
Neo-Queen Serenity or at least Princess   
Serenity...and I bet she found it   
overwhelming. But that's my take.   
  
Remember I love feedback.   
~December~ 


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